Ospreys Outlast Tomcats 19-18 in Wild HCBL Slugfest at Cochran Park
Thursday night’s HCBL matchup between the North Fork Ospreys and Riverhead Tomcats at Cochran Park was one for the record books, as the Ospreys erased an 11-run deficit before holding off a late Riverhead rally for a stunning 19-18 victory.
The two teams combined for 37 runs, 21 hits, 25 RBI, 25 walks and four home runs in one of the highest-scoring games of the HCBL season.
Riverhead couldn’t have scripted a better start. In the opening inning, Zach DeMilt (Adelphi) crushed a grand slam giving the Tomcats a quick 4-0 lead. Just a few batters later, Kevin Schnupp (UMass Amherst) launched a two-run homer to left, plating Sam Leonard and extending the advantage to 6-0.
North Fork answered immediately in the bottom of the first. Gianni Generoso (SUNY Westchester CC) lined a two-run double before Nicolas Martini (Eastern Connecticut State) drew a bases-loaded walk to trim the deficit to 6-3.
The Tomcats struck again in the second when Matt Hesselbirg (Mercy) blasted a three-run homer make it 9-3. The home run was Hesselbirg’s fourth of the season leading the league. North Fork picked up an unearned run later in the inning when Chuck Cappello (Worcester Polytechnic) scored on a passed ball.
Riverhead continued to pour it on in the third as Dylan Kennedy-Fujah (UMass Boston) singled home Sam Leonard (Hofstra) for a 10-4 lead before adding five more runs in the fourth. Matt Gileno (Riverside CC) delivered an RBI single, Kennedy-Fujah forced in a run with a walk, Evan Schickler (Rider) reached on an error to bring home another run, and Shaun McMillan (St. John’s) capped the rally with a two-run single as the Tomcats built what appeared to be a comfortable 15-4 cushion.
Then everything changed.
North Fork erupted for 12 runs in the bottom of the fourth, sending 18 batters to the plate in an inning filled with walks, hit batters and timely hits. Andrew Baay (Middlebury) started the comeback with a bases-loaded walk, Cam LaGrassa (Brown) followed with an RBI hit-by-pitch, Eddie Torres (Post) and Eli Sitzer (Washington (MO) each drew RBI walks, and Demetrios Bardatsos (Rider) added an RBI fielder’s choice.
Jack Growney (St. Lawrence) was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Rocco Cimino (Pace) ripped a two-run single. Baay completed the incredible rally with a three-run homer that tied the game at 15-15, and Torres followed later in the inning with an RBI single to cap the 12-run explosion and give North Fork its first lead at 16-15.
The Ospreys added three insurance runs in the sixth. LaGrassa tripled home Baay, Sitzer lifted a sacrifice fly to score Manny Carreras (Pace), and Bardatsos singled home LaGrassa for a 19-15 advantage.
Riverhead refused to go quietly in the seventh. Leonard delivered a two-run single before Schickler drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 19-18. Luis Florian (Felician), however, escaped further trouble to secure the save and preserve North Fork’s remarkable comeback victory.
Riverhead finished with 12 hits, led by DeMilt’s 2-for-5, four-RBI performance that included a grand slam. Hesselbirg added a three-run homer, Schnupp contributed a two-run blast, while Sam Leonard scored four runs, collected two hits and drove in two. McMillan added two hits and two RBI, and Kennedy-Fujah scored three times while driving in two.
North Fork produced nine hits but took advantage of 12 walks and seven hit batters issued by Riverhead pitching. Baay finished with four RBI, including the game-tying three-run homer, while LaGrassa scored four runs and drove in two. Cimino crossed the plate three times and added two RBIs, Bardatsos had two hits and two RBI, Generoso doubled in two runs, Torres drove in two, and Sitzer added two RBI.
Sincere Lozano (1-0, Lemoyne-Owen) earned the win in relief despite allowing three runs over 2⅔ innings, while Florian picked up his third save after surviving Riverhead’s final-inning rally. Dylan Kennedy-Fujah (0-1) was charged with the loss for Riverhead.